This game has divided Hitman fans, some think it's a bold new step for the series while others think it has ruined it. I am a fan of the past games and while I think it is a more than competent game in its own right there are several things that have left me feeling disappointed. On the whole it is a good game, the glacier 2 engine gives the visuals a much needed overhaul, the levels areThis game has divided Hitman fans, some think it's a bold new step for the series while others think it has ruined it. I am a fan of the past games and while I think it is a more than competent game in its own right there are several things that have left me feeling disappointed. On the whole it is a good game, the glacier 2 engine gives the visuals a much needed overhaul, the levels are entertaining and diverse so that each place feels different and interesting to play, and the different levels of difficulty offer an experience for new comers or real Hitman veterans. There is no multiplayer which is a good thing, as this really isn't the type of game that fits multiplayer or needs it. In its place is Contracts mode that allows players to create and play each others custom missions, as a creator you choose who the targets are, how they should be killed, which weapon to use, along with many other parameters. The best thing about it is that the creator must be able to complete the contract them self before it is created. It's very well done and provides a lot of scope for players that want to make challenging contracts for each other. I would have enjoyed the game a whole lot more than I did if it wasn't for the following things: (1). The disguise system is mostly redundant - In previous games you could don a disguise which allowed you access to restricted areas, if you did anything strange or you hung around too long near an enemy they would become suspicious. In Absolution, anyone wearing the same outfit as you is immediately suspicious of you. Now this is understandable if you happen to take out a security guy on a small manned team, they would know you were an impostor. But when you are street vendor or police officer in a crowd of over a hundred people, you think "How the hell do you know I'm not a real cop? Do you know EVERY cop in the city?" On the harder difficulties you might as well not bother at all as the disguise will grant you barely 2 seconds of anonymity before you are clocked, the system also contradicts itself at times to. One level places you in a courtroom mid-trial, you can halt the trial, knock out the judge and wear his clothing then resume the trial. No-one even notices you are a completely different person. (2). The game has a great variety of weapons, but unlike previous Hitman games you cannot choose your load out before a mission. Now this does loosely tie into the story, but it just feels like another method that the game design quashes your creativity in how you approach missions. (3). Methods of killing or subduing NPC's which should be silent or almost soundless will still be heard. This isn't a major problem but you will have some times where you have just shot someone with a silenced pistol or choked them, then random NPC #12 who was in the next room with music blaring supposedly heard what happened. These are picky issues but they really do spoil what could easily have been my favorite Hitman game to date. The game is still enjoyable to play and far above many other games released around the same time, should they patch the disguise system issues I'd easily give this game a 9.…Expand

I'm a die hard Hitman fan and I've been playing Codename 47 since it first came out. For those who think Absolution is a step back from Blood Money, it is in some regards, just like Silent Assassin was a step back from Codename 47. In the first episode, you could actually choose your equipment before going on a mission, and that was removed in SA for a more story driven experience. But inI'm a die hard Hitman fan and I've been playing Codename 47 since it first came out. For those who think Absolution is a step back from Blood Money, it is in some regards, just like Silent Assassin was a step back from Codename 47. In the first episode, you could actually choose your equipment before going on a mission, and that was removed in SA for a more story driven experience. But in the end, Absolution still captures the spirit of Hitman very well. There are a lot of "get from point A to point B" in this game, but it's fun, especially when trying to achieve a Silent Assassin rating. It gives paces to the game, but if you still want to kill people on the way, feel free to do so. The sandbox levels are superb and have a lot of ways to complete the objectives. The challenges are great too: they're a great incentive to replaying the levels in different ways. The witness system also works really well, and was definitely missing from previous installments. If you screw up, you can salvage the situation with dealing with witnesses swiftly before they alert other NPCs (and there's an achievement for doing so). It's probably the reason why there is no save system per se in the game, which I couldn't care less considering I was playing on Pro in previous games, so no saves anyway. Hand-to-hand is a nice addition for salvaging a situation per example, or just snapping your target's neck. You can't just pick up and carry every object or weapon at the same time now, which makes a lot more sense than in previous games, although tucking in a sniper rifle in a janitor suit is a little silly. A lot of people have problems with the disguise system, and I don't understand what the big issue is here. Sure, it's a little annoying that all cops in a level can see through you when not blending in. However, it was unrealistic that nobody would find odd a 7-feet-tall-bald-giant-bodybuilder-janitor that you looked like in previous games. Hopefully they'll find a better balance in the next game, but it's not really a big problem here. If you do what you gotta do, you don't have to worry about that much. The shooting mechanics and cover system are great too. Although you shouldn't really do that for a pure Hitman experience, who never went through a level in Blood Money to kill everyone in the level, and I mean everyone, just for kicks? Well, with the cover system you can now do that in a more efficient manner and have a lot of fun achieving a Mass Murderer rating. Contracts mode is very nice, it's a core gameplay feature and it's a shame (a REAL SHAME) that you need an internet connection to play it. There are little issues with DRM on consoles so I really don't understand the decision here. Besides, the Contracts server was down the other day... so basically half the game is useless because some guy flipped the wrong power switch. What if they decide to shut down the servers in 4 or 5 years? This is a terrible decision and just because of that I will change my final score from a good 9 to a 7.…Expand

The fifth Hitman, is it the best or the worst. Well Absolution offers new stealth and the graphics are amazing but it doesn't match up to Blood Money. Hitman Absolution however is one of the best 2012 games. Great Graphics, Great Campaign, Great Characters, but there is a problem that really bothered me, the glitches and it was so annoying, I regreted that the developers didn't put in alotThe fifth Hitman, is it the best or the worst. Well Absolution offers new stealth and the graphics are amazing but it doesn't match up to Blood Money. Hitman Absolution however is one of the best 2012 games. Great Graphics, Great Campaign, Great Characters, but there is a problem that really bothered me, the glitches and it was so annoying, I regreted that the developers didn't put in alot of work into the glitches and the game felt a bit rushed. But overall Hitman Absolution gets 7/10.…Expand

Finally, Hitman is back! Now in Absolution, we can see this franchise enjoy all the goodness of the 7th console generation. The environments feel more alive, the graphics are quite impressive and the animations are more fluid, therefore, more comfortable for the controls; specially the shooting, which in the previous games needed to be avoided at all costs because it would most likely costFinally, Hitman is back! Now in Absolution, we can see this franchise enjoy all the goodness of the 7th console generation. The environments feel more alive, the graphics are quite impressive and the animations are more fluid, therefore, more comfortable for the controls; specially the shooting, which in the previous games needed to be avoided at all costs because it would most likely cost you your life. 47 looks better than ever. The work regarding his creation is simply fantastic. He looks very sinister and David Bateson did a magnificent voice acting as always. Not only that, we now see a different side of 47: a man who is not only a ruthless killer, but someone who actually has some personal interests and complex moral dilemmas. The gameplay feels more Splinter Cell (Conviction to be more specific) than Hitman, which may disappoint Hitman's most purist fans, but if you liked Splinter Cell: Conviction you will most likely enjoy Hitman: Absolution. One of the reasons the gameplay seems more SC than Hitman is that the disguise system is extremely complicated to use, because getting a disguise causes more harm than good to the point where it becomes pointless since guards will discover you anyway, forcing you to sneak by them. The saving system could have been better since it won't save your progress in certain checkpoints, so you'll have to get to the next mini-cutscene if you want to stop and play later without loosing what you've done, and since advancing may be quite difficult, it becomes frustrating. The story starts great, but as it goes on, you can notice that the writers struggled to keep it moving, so they used the same plot device over and over again getting old quickly. The other flaw in terms of story are some of the main villains, who are too cartoonish to be taken seriously (a group of women dressed in silly fetish outfits headed by a Lil' Kim copycat, a Texan stereotype and Machete on steroids). Not to mention their cringe-worthy dialogue and the fact that they are so fool they can't be feared. They would be Ok for a Robert Rodriguez movie, but in this case, they take you out of the otherwise creepy and dark atmosphere of the game. Jesper Kyd's music is deeply missed since it really got you immersed into 47's universe. Not saying that the music in Absolution is bad, it's just not as good as Kyd's. Overall, I'd say Hitman: Absolution will have fans very divided in terms of gameplay. You'll enjoy it if you like stealth action in general or you won't if you expected the classic Hitman formula.…Expand

Like the other games, the story is well written, rather than being a reboot for the series, like other games tend to do, it fits in with the previous titles, therefore offering plenty of subtle material for those who have stuck with the game since the first in 2001. Agent 47 has been sent to kill former handler Diana Burn wood, who has taken the agency to its knees. At the point of theLike the other games, the story is well written, rather than being a reboot for the series, like other games tend to do, it fits in with the previous titles, therefore offering plenty of subtle material for those who have stuck with the game since the first in 2001. Agent 47 has been sent to kill former handler Diana Burn wood, who has taken the agency to its knees. At the point of the assassination attempt, which unfortunately is pure cut-scene, Agent 47 is told of a young girl, who he must save. This one moment turns 47′s world upside down, as he then becomes hunted by those who once he trusted. There are plenty of twists as players progress and the acting along with the writing offer a fairly mature story that doesn…Expand

It's not a bad game (a good game I would argue) but it does not feel like a real Hitman game as many people have pointed out. It reminds me more of one of the early Splinter Cell games as you slip pass searching guards. The hits have been made far too easy in my opinion, most missions you can follow the target around until they stop somewhere that no one else is looking then you just fibreIt's not a bad game (a good game I would argue) but it does not feel like a real Hitman game as many people have pointed out. It reminds me more of one of the early Splinter Cell games as you slip pass searching guards. The hits have been made far too easy in my opinion, most missions you can follow the target around until they stop somewhere that no one else is looking then you just fibre wire them and stick them in a conveniently place container. If your a long time fan you will get some enjoyment, just don't go expecting too much.

I would say this game kept me interested for a few weeks, but it was also sitting beside far cry 3 and xcom.. I would say you should try it. Its a decent game ,but didn't keep my attention for long..good for a few weeks or a month of entertainment

I am a big Hitman fan, played the first Hitman: Codename 47 when it first came out way back before the rating system and you can killed everybody in the box (just not the civies). Ever since then, I have owned every single Hitman game, including Contracts and this Absolution. It was not until Blood Money where a coherent story line was put into place, you know, in the form of theI am a big Hitman fan, played the first Hitman: Codename 47 when it first came out way back before the rating system and you can killed everybody in the box (just not the civies). Ever since then, I have owned every single Hitman game, including Contracts and this Absolution. It was not until Blood Money where a coherent story line was put into place, you know, in the form of the wheelchair guy telling 47's story to his own death while attending the funeral of a "dead" 47. Absolution ramped up the story telling department, involved more voice-acting for more characters (no more "Alarm, alarm!" or "backup, I need backup"), fancier graphics that would strain your i7 cpu/ Physix core, and a "multi"-single player mode that serves as a bragging right, sort of. I will start on THE BAD. THE BAD: A semi-working challenge and checkpoint system that would choke the living fibrewire out of the perfect hitman. This is especially horrible for those "stacking" challenge where you have to kill this many goons in this certain ways. Some are easy to stack but some are just hard. To make things worse, it is bugged to reset itself halfway through the challenge ALTHOUGH once you complete one challenge to a full bar, it stays completed. Speaking of choke/checkpoint, it resets the AI routine to the beginning of the level and some AI activities have to be triggered by 47's proximity to the AI(s). So, you might find yourself in an infinite waiting loop like me waiting for the AI to finish his phone conversation just to realize that I did not trigger the speech. THE BAD 2: AI detection skill. More like 47 detection skills by AI. Since you no longer look at the lovely map to know the place, you have to rely on either A) killing everybody and burn the blueprint of the level to your mind, or B) acquiring disguise to scout the patrol or the death/accident walk of the target(s). Except you sort of cannot do it like how you have done it so many times in Blood money. If the level is swarming with patrols, you have better to just stick with your suit because you arouse and accumulate suspicion meter every second that any patrol maintain line-of-sight with you. THE WORST part is when the game forced you (not a boss fight chokepoint but a regular design oversight chokepoint like the one in Descent level) to a chokepoint that stands between you and the person that you must drop, and you are torturing yourself with the Professional difficulty. To sum up the BAD, the entire game plays like Splinter Cell (yea, 47 can now run while bending his back and bending his back to stealth mode is not any slower than his walking speed). Also, THERE IS NO LOADOUT FOR 47!!! At least in campaign mode which is definitely a big upset to do funny business by starting with a sniper with case. Now THE GOOD: The new "Multi"-single player mode is basically identical to the gameplay of Hitman-Contracts. If you blame the specific contract is too linear, then blame the creator of the contract because he/she chose the setup (i.e. which level, who is/are the target, disguise or which killing weapon, etc). Personally, I think it is a good way or at least give you a good reason to explore the parts of the level if you have missed it while trying to play a perfact campaign playthrough. Also, this is the only way you can earn "real" blood money to "upgrade" your collected weapons (that's right, even the collected weapons can be improved) and subsequently start a mission/contract with it. So, in every sense, the Contract mode is more faithful to the previous Hitman games than the campaign. THE GOOD 2: Improved graphics and gameplay**. I am thankful enough to own a rig that can throw out a decent FPS and Hitman has set a benchmark like how it did in the first game when it came out (the time when overall graphics was worse than your first xbox games). The rating system was in real time and you would know immediately if you have been seen. I have had good times playing knives only missions and if the AI "works"***, it works (i.e. no more easy funneling/camping in the store/restroom like blood money) minus the detection flaw mentioned above. Oh, you can no longer distrupt any AI routine by walking behind them and making them turn around, you cannot do that anymore to get easy exploit. While we are on subject, the AI is much more harder to exploit than in Blood Money. This is simply because they can see through your disguise like in Hitman: Silent Assassin when you were standing there doing nothing. OVERALL: Hitman: Absolution is fun to play. The campaign itself does not have the same replayability that it does in Hitman: Blood Money but the Contract mode is extremely addictive. Blood Money is a sandbox but Absolution has this leading levels like in the first and the second Hitman games that lead on to the major target level. However, if you are like me, it would take at least 10 hours for the first playthrough in Absolution with the broken "save" system. Thank you for reading.…Expand

A good game. I love how you can interact with anything in the environment and either use it as a weapon, a distraction or pretty much anything else you want it to be. It does a get a little bit frustrating crouching around all time because if you get spotted you

The game was okay.. I prefer to Blood money more than this though. I don't like how disguises do S*** in the environment. The game was a bit too story based compared to the prequels. No Loadout = No custom weapons = No fun.

When you're making a contract and steam goes down for maintenance, you're kicked from the contract which is S*** as well..

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
I have been expecting this game since its announcement. The previous Hitman game in the series, Blood Money is one my favorite games of all time and I consider this series as being a mythical one in the gaming industry. So obviously, I pre-ordered Absolution even though the first footage I saw of the game made me a little skeptically as the only things we were able to see from the game were some intense shooting moments or the Agent 47 killing everybody simply using what he could find on the field (electricity cables, etc.) without having any plan for approaching the target. Fortunately, the game is not like that on the hardest difficulties (let's be honest, a Hitman game is meant to be played as a hardcore stealth game, on the hardest difficulties possible). The possibility to use random objects that you find during the curse of your mission is a really good adding to the game, it gives the Agent 47 an extra bit of intelligence which is never a bad thing, he can now adapt a bit more to his surroundings. I also have to say that the "new" shooting system is way better than in the previous episodes as the feeling of shooting has never been such rewarding for a Hitman game, the ability to switch the camera from the left shoulder to the right one makes it easier and more realistic than before. However, with the more modern shooting system comes a new cover system which doesn't feel really finished. When you get behind cover, the game considers you as being harder to spot than if you are not, meaning that even if a NPC cannot directly see you, he might still be able to spot you if you don't use the cover system which really alters the realism of the game. Why is that a problem you would ask, one just has to use the cover system and he won't get spotted. Well, the thing is that it is a lot harder to move while being under cover than if you just walk normally like we used to do in previous Hitman games. But this is not the biggest concern about the new cover system, the real big problem about it is when you use the "go to the next cover" thing where 47 performs an acrobatic move to next cover : even if an enemy ten inches away from your position sees you doing one of these tricks, he will not be alerted because the game considers this move as being silent, which is really not the case, it should only be a faster way to from a cover to an another without being noticed by far-away guards. Moving on to the story. I feel like the fact that the Agent 47 decides to help the only person that he has ever had confidence in is a pretty good idea. In order to do this, he has to save and protect a young girl called Victoria which is someone responding perfectly to the biological tests that are made to her. These tests are the ones that 47 had to suffer while the doctor Ort-Meyer was training him to become the perfect assassin. That's also why the cold blooded Agent 47 accepts to protect her from the doctors. I fell like this is the only real way that the developers could bring emotions to 47 and I have to admit that it is pretty well done in this episode. The story mode is divided into 20 missions which are themselves divided into several parts. That kind of division of the story line fits perfectly with the story itself where there are some clear separated parts but there are a few flows. You can no longer choose your preferred set-up for the missions as the story basically features 47 on the run and him trying to protect the girl. This is a little disturbing for the Hitman fan that I am but if the story benefits from it, why not giving us an "equipment naked" 47 (even though you almost always end up with a gun coming out of nowhere). The other big problem to me in the story line is that the Agent 47 gets captured twice in very stupid ways which, for a person like him, very intelligent, physically extremely powerful, etc., it feels really absurd. He is meant to be the perfect assassin and because of those moments, he looks vulnerable which is something he has never been before, counting out the end of Blood Money. To make up for that lack of freedom in the missions, IO created a new mode called Contracts where you can create a contract or play others' contracts. This is probably the best thing that Absolution as brought to the series because it offers a really big replay-ability to the game which the other episodes kind of lacked of. But it is less fun than before because you can only equip one weapon at the beginning of the contract. Finally, I would say that the game lacks a lot of animations and realism, 47 makes weapons pop in his hands rather than taking them from his suit, he also now can hide an entire sniper riffle in his vest as well as an assault riffle at the same time. Forget the briefcase, 47 can make weapons become smaller. 47 no longer has an animation when going up and down the stairs. The game is still good, but better for the ones who are new to the series, I don't now how long Absolution will last...…Expand

I think this is a good game, but not a great Hitman game. It is a solid change of pace from the average first and third person action game, and features well designed levels and solid characters. But the plot is also kind of a problem. While decent, Hitman games are not supposed to be linear like this. What happened to being able to select your loadout before a mission? I understand youI think this is a good game, but not a great Hitman game. It is a solid change of pace from the average first and third person action game, and features well designed levels and solid characters. But the plot is also kind of a problem. While decent, Hitman games are not supposed to be linear like this. What happened to being able to select your loadout before a mission? I understand you cannot because it would disrupt the flow of the plot, but it was still really cool. It is however a bit redeemed by contracts mode, which lets you play user made levels and either follow the preset and recommended loadout, or pick your own. You earn money after each contract, the amount earned is dependent on your performance. The core gameplay is still intact, and even though there are a lot of different ways to kill people, it just doesn't quite capture that infinite amount of possibilities in previous games. A nice plus to the game is definitely the graphics, which are quite frankly stunning, even if the cutscenes may have trouble at times. Overall, Hitman: Absolution will probably let down hardcore fans, but impress n00bs and first timers to the series. On a side note, if you find the game too hard, swallow your pride and play on easy mode, it will make it much more fun. I would purchase Absolution now that it is 25 bucks on xbox, but if you remain skeptical, find a way to rent it or borrow from a friend.…Expand

It's not Blood Money 2 like I wanted it to be, and it is the worst Hitman game in the series. With that being said, it's still a better game than most of crap being released these days. I'm hoping IO makes Blood Money 2, with the next entry. Side note, I really miss the newspaper article thing from Blood Money. That was my favorite.

[7.3] If this were an open world game, it would be incredible, but instead they settle for a Splinter Cell clone in which you can rarely use guns. The game is presented as one that offers several play styles, but it ultimately very linear, and instead making your own choices you have to figure out what choices to make. It is very satisfying to to knock someone unconscious and hide their[7.3] If this were an open world game, it would be incredible, but instead they settle for a Splinter Cell clone in which you can rarely use guns. The game is presented as one that offers several play styles, but it ultimately very linear, and instead making your own choices you have to figure out what choices to make. It is very satisfying to to knock someone unconscious and hide their body in a dumpster, but by the tenth level of doing that you get the point. The developers, like many other, limit themselves too much which is hopefully something that will end by the next generation of consoles.…Expand

besides of his terrible story hitman:absolution is a good game,i love how the levels where built but unfortunately i don't know if it's better than others hitmans because it's the only one i ever played.

A solid seven is not a bad rating. It's actually good. And "Hitman: Absolution" is a good game, so good I had to delete from my Xbox 360's hard drive and save myself from playing it until dawn. The game is 3 points from a perfect 10 for 3 very good reasons:
1) The cutscenes and dialogue are awful. They are offensive to humankind and everyone involved should take a moment to reflect onA solid seven is not a bad rating. It's actually good. And "Hitman: Absolution" is a good game, so good I had to delete from my Xbox 360's hard drive and save myself from playing it until dawn. The game is 3 points from a perfect 10 for 3 very good reasons:
1) The cutscenes and dialogue are awful. They are offensive to humankind and everyone involved should take a moment to reflect on what terrible things inside them made them produce something so terrible.
2) Their is only one way to obtain a perfect score. Basically, if you can interact with something, that is what you need to use to make a death look like an accident. There are no other options for a perfect play through.
3) Missions vacillate between short and easy and overly long and complex. The multiple target missions are particularly annoying when you cannot save your game between targets. I think if I can make a death look like an accident the first time, I can do it on all the other play through's too. And the number of guard's in some areas is outlandish.

"Hitman: Absolution" has some other negatives, such as the cheap see through wall vision (called "Detective Mode" in "Batman: Arkham Asylum"), limited ability to use costumes, reinforcements that prevent you from sweeping areas, and loss of score for being seen by someone you then kill, because how can a dead witness testify? Ultimately, though, sneaking up behind people and knocking them out is fun, and much more fun than shooting them in the head. "Hitman: Absolution" could have been as good as "Deus Ex: Human Revolution". It isn't, but that doesn't make it bad.…Expand

(sorry for my english i'm french) Let's start by saying this is a good game. BUT, it could have been so much better. -- 1 -- After I heard that you can kill by so many means, I imagined to poison, push off roof, set mines, etc. All you can do is shoot and assassinate (and you only have to press X button). -- 2 -- it's a shame that you can't make a distraction (like to shoot a little(sorry for my english i'm french) Let's start by saying this is a good game. BUT, it could have been so much better. -- 1 -- After I heard that you can kill by so many means, I imagined to poison, push off roof, set mines, etc. All you can do is shoot and assassinate (and you only have to press X button). -- 2 -- it's a shame that you can't make a distraction (like to shoot a little rock... or whistle assassin's creed style), the game would be so much better!! You can turn on radio a couple times in the game but it's in chosen area so you cant do it when you want to. -- 3 -- Even when you're suit up like a cop, and there's so many of them around, they recognize you like they would all know each other. So, disguise is not the best way to pass a control point... -- 4 -- sometimes you're hunted by cops and you hide in a wardrobe for example. You are in a dead-end and that's evident it's the only place where you can be. Well, they won't find you...it's magic or something...

Enought for the bad part

That said, the shooting is quite fun and realistic. The visuals are pretty good too. The fact that the game is divided by missions following a story is cool. You can give a second try to your favorite missions after you unlocked them in the story mode.

To make it short, it seems like they wanted to add some details to a completed and good looking 3rd person shooter game but they forgot Hitman is all about the details! He's supposed to be the more intelligent and creative killer but I don't see it in the game

It's worth my 20$
But not 60.
I'll rent the next one before to maybe buy it…Expand

This game has some deep stealth mechanics that major stealth fans will surely enjoy a lot (especially on higher difficulties). However, I'm not a major stealth fan. I didn't give this game a 7/10 for that, though. It recieved a 7 as opposed to an 8 because there's not a huge amount of content. Online custom missions are okay but don't add enough to a somewhat short game. Still, it's a funThis game has some deep stealth mechanics that major stealth fans will surely enjoy a lot (especially on higher difficulties). However, I'm not a major stealth fan. I didn't give this game a 7/10 for that, though. It recieved a 7 as opposed to an 8 because there's not a huge amount of content. Online custom missions are okay but don't add enough to a somewhat short game. Still, it's a fun game and it's definitely worth a playthrough even for people who aren't big stealth fans. There are many different ways you can approach the majority of objectives and this is what makes the game good. You're given an objective and you use your tools and skills to get the job done however you can. Also, the story is pretty decent and the voice acting is also good.…Expand

I liked the previous hitman titles a lot more than this. Sure, the graphics are great and the gameplay is pretty good, but honestly there's nothing new about this game. It's kind of like the same old thing with a couple quirks here and there.

It's an ok game that's not the equal of Blood Money.The broken disguise system is the most infuriating part of this game.Don a police or cooks uniform,for example, and be recognised by every cop and cook in the game...That's just ridiculous.I found myself unusually bored during play and despised the A-B areas with a passion.I had to stop every couple of hours just to motivate myself toIt's an ok game that's not the equal of Blood Money.The broken disguise system is the most infuriating part of this game.Don a police or cooks uniform,for example, and be recognised by every cop and cook in the game...That's just ridiculous.I found myself unusually bored during play and despised the A-B areas with a passion.I had to stop every couple of hours just to motivate myself to keep going until the end.Contracts mode is good though and deserves multiple playthroughs,but I just couldn't be bothered.A very disappointing title.…Expand

hitman absolution was OK. It was my first experience with the series. Unfortunately, it didn't do a whole lot to draw me in. The game play was cool (very similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution) but without an art style, soundtrack, or environments as intriguing, it just couldn't hold my interest for more than an hour and a half. Things I hated: getting deducted points for killing people andhitman absolution was OK. It was my first experience with the series. Unfortunately, it didn't do a whole lot to draw me in. The game play was cool (very similar to Deus Ex: Human Revolution) but without an art style, soundtrack, or environments as intriguing, it just couldn't hold my interest for more than an hour and a half. Things I hated: getting deducted points for killing people and extremely repetative game play. And dumb AI…Expand

Overall this is a pretty decent game. Unfortunately the last game in the series (Blood Money) was as close to perfect as you can get. All they had to do was make a game exactly like Blood Money and this game would have been a 10/10 but unfortunately they decided to completely break the stealth aspect in favor of run and gun style play in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. Make noOverall this is a pretty decent game. Unfortunately the last game in the series (Blood Money) was as close to perfect as you can get. All they had to do was make a game exactly like Blood Money and this game would have been a 10/10 but unfortunately they decided to completely break the stealth aspect in favor of run and gun style play in an attempt to appeal to a wider audience. Make no mistake the stealth is completely broken in this game, it come down to luck much of the time. If you want to run and gun through this then by all means pick it up and you'll love it but if you're looking for a stealth game then do yourself a favor and go buy an old copy of Blood Money and you'll be playing a game that is leaps and bounds better.…Expand

The detection system sucks, you re enemies have ultimate mutant megavision. I strangled a guy in the toilet, no one around, but everyone in the vicinity instantly knew exactly where I was the second he died. It's as if you don't complete things the way the game intends it brands you with a YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and makes it impossibly hard to finish.

The previous Hitman games kindaThe detection system sucks, you re enemies have ultimate mutant megavision. I strangled a guy in the toilet, no one around, but everyone in the vicinity instantly knew exactly where I was the second he died. It's as if you don't complete things the way the game intends it brands you with a YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG and makes it impossibly hard to finish.

The previous Hitman games kinda gave you a sense of "You are the hitman, take him out as you please"…Expand

Firstly i would like to point out that i started playing Hitman games with silent assassin on the PS2, later I had contracts and finally blood money on the PC, i love the game series. So i had to get the latest version for my Xbox.

Well it pains me to say it but this is just not the game it was, 6 years later and this game is NOT as good as the previous ones. Its a watered down versionFirstly i would like to point out that i started playing Hitman games with silent assassin on the PS2, later I had contracts and finally blood money on the PC, i love the game series. So i had to get the latest version for my Xbox.

Well it pains me to say it but this is just not the game it was, 6 years later and this game is NOT as good as the previous ones. Its a watered down version in the same way the all the Tom Clancy games got watered down. Gone are the strong elements of tactics and planning, gone is the reward for exploration and experimentation, in their place there is the illusion of these things. This game attempts to add tense action sequences but it does so with scripted, triggered action points, by funnelling you down one route or situation instead of allowing the previous sandbox anything goes game-play to shine through. The beauty of a Hitman game was that two players could take completley different routes to the objectives, the action and tension they encountered was completley a consequence of their play style and timing. In this game the experience is contrived, forced and scripted to the point that everyone will get the same experience bar a few areas where the leash is loosened enough for you to get a brief taste of what made the game great. To often are you forced into situations that are not becoming of a game series that once carried silent assassin as a game title, well there's nothing silent about being forced into being chased by a helicopter and countless police men through numerous early stages. By attempting to turn the tables on agent 47 and make him vulnerable in this new narrative we are robbed of what made the series great; selecting your gear, scouting the location out and making your way to your target.

Gone is the load-out, your weapons are pre-selected for you, so no more sniper briefcase but dont worry because someone will have left a high-powered sniper rifle in the room overlooking your target and the window is open, the weapon will also be according to its description in the menus agent 47's choice sniper rifle, how convenient...and lame. Also on the subject of lame is the new disguise system; now you might thing the best way to blend in with some police men is perhaps to grab one of their uniforms, act normal, keep a relative distance so they dont see you up close etc. Well actually if you put a police uniform on every time you are in eye sight of a police man at any distance you arouse suspicion and attract unwanted attention, the same goes for any disguise, dress up as a bodyguard and all the bodyguards immediately seem to be onto you, however if you just dress as someone else they let you pass unnoticed...so the point in dressing up is what exactly? Case to point: I put on a police uniform to access and area guarded by police men, nothing but suspicion is aroused, i come back dressed as a drug dealer and i'm fine to walk through unnoticed. These scenarios happen throughout the game yet you can negate it somewhat by using an intuition bar that when used de-pleats but allows you to....wait for it.....cover your face as you walk past in a rather awkward and obvious attempt to hide your identity. Yeah, that's right, and if the bar or your 'intuition' de-pleats? yeah you can no longer put your hand over your face.

Also hiding works as stupidly, climb through a window next to a guard in a restricted area and he will turn, question you, become suspicious, but if you quickly read a near by pamphlet hey everything is fine, no problems! Stop reading the pamphlet though and the guy will draw on you and shoot in seconds.

The A.I then as you may have guessed is lame, predictable boring patrol patterns, nothing dynamic, higher difficulties mealy mean they notice you faster and shoot more accurately for the most part.

Agent 47 used to feel like a real pro, you had the element of surprise and could use it how you wanted, with the load out you wanted, on the path you chose. Now you get the weapons you given along with anything you can scavenge, you get limited paths and worse of all levels are no longer large sandboxes but separately loaded sections where if you return to a previous area anyone you killed or subdued is back alive.

Despite all this there are still some nice elements to the game, there are some small sections where the game plays like its predecessors and its here where it creates its own dynamic drama and tension just like the old games did. Its a sad modern trend in gaming that sees strategic, stealth games getting watered down into stealth/action games. Hitman as a game has always had the tools for action, the moments where we messed up would bring the fight, or where you had to quickly dispatch two approaching guards, we dont need scripted action in a sandbox, just give us the tools and freedom and we'll make our own, just like the old days. Please IO keep the formula to what it was, its not Hitman any more. 7 from a series fan.…Expand

R.I.P my beloved Hitman. Other hardcore franchise that became casual. My worst nightmare came true. Where should i start ? Well, EVERYTHING in this game reminds me of SC Conviction. "I need to save my daughter" - says Sam Fisher. "I need to save Victoria" - says Hitman. " I'll hide behind crates and jump over them"' - says Sam Fisher. "I'll do that too!!" - says Hitman. "I'll escape fromR.I.P my beloved Hitman. Other hardcore franchise that became casual. My worst nightmare came true. Where should i start ? Well, EVERYTHING in this game reminds me of SC Conviction. "I need to save my daughter" - says Sam Fisher. "I need to save Victoria" - says Hitman. " I'll hide behind crates and jump over them"' - says Sam Fisher. "I'll do that too!!" - says Hitman. "I'll escape from people of the government while trying to save my daughter that was arrested by strange people" - says Sam. " I'll escape from people of the Agency and Police while trying to save Victoria that was arrested by strange people" - says Hitman. The franchise lost it's personality (so as the main character's charisma). Hitman now is a clone of Bruce Willis, not even resembles the methodical and cold killer that we all love. The graphics are pretty good (the stages SADLY aren't sandbox anymore now) but the gameplay is SC Conviction with disguises. A disguise system that f#cks your ass without vaseline. Everytime you use the disguise to fool someone, it requires a LOT of instinct. Instinct is difficult to gain so... yeah, you play Eidos's way (crawling around and taking down ordinary thugs like a f#cking spy or something) or you don't play at all. There's no more fun in killing people because the game gives you too much hints! I tried to up the difficulty a bit but i got f#cked by the stupid disguise system that destroys any strategy. Oh i forgot one more thing! The "instinct" mode works as the detective vision from Batman Arkham Asylum! That's awesome, right ? We have hot nuns exploding hotels and the Agency putting armed soldiers on the streets, causing panic and taking over the motherf#cking country! WOW! The missions where i can, actually, assassinate people are so few that i don't even remember them! There is also a mission where you are FORCED (that's right man, "on rails" style) to shoot things! Oh guys, I miss so much a FPS option to play with Captain Price and Robin while i'm riding on a horse with bazookas on a Third World War against the Agency and Makarov! Just what i expected from a Hitman game! Time to cry, fans of the old Hitman, he will be remembered. God bless his soul.…Expand

i was a little surprised as it didn't really live up to all the hype, perhaps it had too much hype? personally i preferred playing through blood money. lastly i believe that there was too much humor or i find a lot of stuff funny? i you want to buy it please wait till it cheapens. also many people believe that they have removed the killing machine from the hitman series and maybe theyi was a little surprised as it didn't really live up to all the hype, perhaps it had too much hype? personally i preferred playing through blood money. lastly i believe that there was too much humor or i find a lot of stuff funny? i you want to buy it please wait till it cheapens. also many people believe that they have removed the killing machine from the hitman series and maybe they have... but when will they release another and how will it go from here as hitman is no longer with 'the agency'.…Expand

I hated the fact that the security guards and everyone got suspicious of everyone, like they knew everyone or had every idea of a Hitman lurking among them. I love the action, the stealth, but it made no since of how I couldn't move 3 feet without someone getting suspicious of me. Just let me move around and have the AI more unaware. Challenging though...

Hitman: Absolution was a pretty enjoyable game in some aspects. Great stealth mechanics and a iconic character: Agent 47. But this game lacked, a lot. Firstly, The story was very boring to follow. Second, The colours were very bad. Thirdly, and this is the biggest one for me, this game is super depressing, its very dark and brutal. It would give me migraines listening to that sinister andHitman: Absolution was a pretty enjoyable game in some aspects. Great stealth mechanics and a iconic character: Agent 47. But this game lacked, a lot. Firstly, The story was very boring to follow. Second, The colours were very bad. Thirdly, and this is the biggest one for me, this game is super depressing, its very dark and brutal. It would give me migraines listening to that sinister and dark soundtrack and looking at those dark colours. And don't let me mention that disturbing strip club mission and the Nun massacre mission ugh. Fourthly, this game can get extremely boring after about 2-3 hours. I wouldn't recommend this, but if you are a fan please do, I bet you will probably like this. 6/10 for me.…Expand

Ahh...remember all the wonderful things in Hitman games..? The Vast, open, multi-faceted, multi-tiered, funhouses of planning, deception and creativity? Well IO Interactive took all of that, threw it into 47's sniper case and set fire to it. From the ashes they cobbled together 'Absolution' . Something which the developers should be praying for. Levels are linear and streamlined,Ahh...remember all the wonderful things in Hitman games..? The Vast, open, multi-faceted, multi-tiered, funhouses of planning, deception and creativity? Well IO Interactive took all of that, threw it into 47's sniper case and set fire to it. From the ashes they cobbled together 'Absolution' . Something which the developers should be praying for. Levels are linear and streamlined, rigidly objective (go to point B, collect 4 fuses, exit door) based affairs. Even the more sandboxy levels are watered down and/or butchered into non-returnable sections. Take the 3rd level set in a hotel. On the ground floor there is only one way up to the target on the eighth (or 2 if you count catching the same lift slightly lower down). Once in the lift the ground floor and everything you did is erased, sucked into a black hole that you may never return to. The cutscene then removes any choice dictating that you shouldn't go directly to the 8th floor but get off at the 7th and find another way up. Once you do that the 7th floor disappears into the same blackhole as the ground floor. The horrible checkpoint system respawns enemies, actively discourages exploration and punishes experimentation.
The 'disguise' system is broken to the point where they now serve as nothing more than a 'stealth power-up' allowing you a second or two chance to bail into cover before you're rumbled rendering them all but useless. All of which render the game into a more generic cover-based stealth game, where throwing objects to distract guards is now your greatest asset. You get no loadout choice, and the game seems painfully short on inspirational, memorable ideas.
If you enjoy the more by-the-numbers stealth games that have you commando rolling between cover you may find much to satisfy you in HItman Absolution, but let's be clear: . It may look like it, sound like it and offer a few nostalgic nods in it's direction, but this is not a Hitman game.
Agent 47 has lost his way. Which may be considered ironic considering how linear his world has become.…Expand

Ok, despite the generally popular reviews this game is getting, one point needs to be made abundantly clear.

THIS IS NOT HITMAN. Hitman is unique and was a thinking man's game. For the most accurate and truthful review, read PC gamer UK's review. It doesn't matter its for PC, all platforms got the same letdown of a game.
Just to clarify, i have played and completed every hitman gameOk, despite the generally popular reviews this game is getting, one point needs to be made abundantly clear.

THIS IS NOT HITMAN. Hitman is unique and was a thinking man's game. For the most accurate and truthful review, read PC gamer UK's review. It doesn't matter its for PC, all platforms got the same letdown of a game.

Just to clarify, i have played and completed every hitman game since the first one was released. And i dont mean i bought them all in a compilation, i mean i played each one at the time it was released and so have a good handle on how the series has developed over the years. That was until it died today. :(

This is a dull and repetitive stealth game, while you can kill people in varied and cool ways and there are some unique features like wearing limited disguises. Thats it. A lot of work has gone into it but its not particularly great. There are serious flaws, like the checkpoint system, and the gear system is largely pointless making pre-order bonuses a joke. There is no feeling of freedom and strategy like in the other games. Its just a linear story driven stealth game. Instead of having whole levels to do what you want and watch people and their behaviour before making your plan, now everywhere is pretty much restricted, and the disguise system is lame now. So basically you just sneak everywhere to reach your objective. As i said, a generic stealth game to please the masses. LAME

I MEAN FOR GOD'S SAKE THE ENEMIES RESPAWN IF YOU RELOAD A CHECKPOINT! Ridiculous.

Shame on you IO and shame on you Enix. Shame on all the spineless reviewers that gave this game over 75% too. And even that is being generous!…Expand

Honestly the game was not what i was expecting. I loved contracts and blood money but this is not anything like the games i grew to love. They really took a step back when making this game, they could have done way better. I ran into bugs constantly like flashlights shining through walls or guards running into me and saying the whole time show yourself. 60 bucks ill spent in my opinion.

As a long time fan of the Hitman series this new outing is very disappointing. Graphics: This game looks good and you can tell they have worked on the visuals. Overall the game looks very good and the whole game runs smoothly. Sound: The game sounds great from the sounds of the weapons to the music. The only annoying things is some of the voice actors voices got on my nerves but I thinkAs a long time fan of the Hitman series this new outing is very disappointing. Graphics: This game looks good and you can tell they have worked on the visuals. Overall the game looks very good and the whole game runs smoothly. Sound: The game sounds great from the sounds of the weapons to the music. The only annoying things is some of the voice actors voices got on my nerves but I think that has to do more with their personalities than anything. Gameplay: The most important element of any game and this is what disappoints me most about Hitman Absolution. The first thing that annoys me is that for this doesn't feel like a Hitman game. The most obvious criticism is that too many of the levels are linear, which goes against what the Hitman series is about. There are sandbox style levels but for me they felt too small and restricted in comparison to previous Hitman games. There is a checkpoint system within the game that does't need to be there. The most annoying thing about the checkpoint system is that as soon as you pass a checkpoint you usually can't return to the area you have previously visited. The suspicion metre in this game is extremely annoying. It's amazing how many Chicago cops know each other. This disguise system makes it extremely difficult to pass anybody that is wearing the same uniform as you and especially if they are guarding an elevator. You can use instinct mode to evade suspicion but if you are playing in the hardest setting which I did then it only last for a while. The melee combat is extremely frustrating, every time you want to attack someone you have to enter an annoying quick time event which gets boring very quickly. This game has moments of brilliance and at times I realised why I fell in love with the game but overall I just felt disappointment . You can tell the developers wanted to broaden their audience for the new Hitman but in doing that they have compromised on what made Hitman great. Overall impressions:

I've had some fun with Hitman Absolution but overall I'm very disappointed in the latest outing. If this was a brand new game and had no association with the Hitman Franchise then I might have enjoyed it more but it was not to be. Some people will enjoy this game but for me I am extremely disappointed and Im hoping any future Hitman game is a lot better.…Expand

First things first: This is not Call of Duty - if you are a gamer expecting to go in guns blazing and not be stopped in your tracks think again - you will not enjoy this game, secondly it is not Blood Money which arguably was the best Hitman to date in my opinion. Absolution is a worthy entry which will reward people who THINK. As stated by others the camouflage system is flawed and shouldFirst things first: This is not Call of Duty - if you are a gamer expecting to go in guns blazing and not be stopped in your tracks think again - you will not enjoy this game, secondly it is not Blood Money which arguably was the best Hitman to date in my opinion. Absolution is a worthy entry which will reward people who THINK. As stated by others the camouflage system is flawed and should have been given more attention - if a patch could fix this it would elevate this game to a 9.…Collapse

Ultimately, Hitman: Absolution marks a faithful, gorgeous and only occasionally maddening return for a series that’s been gone far too long. It may have trouble finding fans among twitchy gamers with short attention spans, but guns and brains should never be mutually exclusive. And those kids can get off my damn lawn.